LOX Project to breathe lifesaving medicine into public health facilities
Dec. 9, 2022
KINGSTON, Jamaica. Thursday, December 8, 2022: A USD $2 Million Dollar investment in Liquid Medical Oxygen will breathe the lifesaving medicine into the Kingston Public Hospital and the Annotto Bay Hospital. Through the Liquid Medical Oxygen (LOX) Expansion Project, more patients will have ready access to Liquid Oxygen at their bedsides.
Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton made the disclosure at a media launch earlier today.
“Eight (8) health facilities were identified in the initial assessment by local stakeholders, two of which – the Kingston Public Hospital and Annotto Bay Hospital – received approval from funding partner, USAID. The Medical Liquid Oxygen Ecosystem at both facilities will see the installation of infrastructure to facilitate usage of Liquid Oxygen. This includes upgrade of piping infrastructure and installation of equipment, fencing and cryogenic tanks for LOX use,” said the Minister.
Under the LOX Expansion Project, the two public health facilities will see infrastructural works commenced in the coming year and the provision of Liquid Oxygen for nine months.
Work will be carried out by implementing partner, EpiC (Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
LOX Infrastructure at KPH and Annotto Bay
“There is some Liquid Medical Oxygen infrastructure at the Kingston Public Hospital. however, the current infrastructure has proven inadequate in delivering the volumes of oxygen needed,” the Minister noted.
While the ICU, Operating Room as well as some beds and wards at the facility are piped accordingly, the demand for oxygen significantly increased over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As we seek to enhance the resilience of a critical facility such as KPH, this project will bring about major improvement by providing Liquid Oxygen to beds that did not previously have this in place,” Dr. Tufton added.
At the Annotto Bay Hospital, oxygen is currently piped to the Operating Theatre and Recovery Room. With LOX, the facility will have the ability to store more oxygen onsite.
Training & Sustainability Plan for LOX Use
Other fundamental areas of the yearlong project are training and technical assistance for selected staff of the beneficiary hospitals in management and use of LOX at the facility level, and development of sustainability plans for the continued maintenance of the upgrades received. The project will have continued financing for LOX procurement and tank maintenance up to a year following implementation.
Oxygen is a vital life-saving medicine used to treat respiratory illnesses like COVID-19, pneumonia and asthma. Oxygen is also necessary for surgery and trauma.
While oxygen can be stored in two ways, gas or liquid, its liquid form allows for more of the lifesaving resource to flow to the bedside of patients in need of oxygen support.
-30-